Cingular vs T-Mobile
Apr 30, 2007 | 1:38 pm
#46
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Tri-State Area
Posts: 4,728
TMO user since day of Omnipoint.... ^
But one place they're still behind is Grand Central Station, NY. Everybody w/ Verizon or Cingular gets signal on the main platform and even tunnel at times. I've actually tested with a second phone using international SIM/nbr from various Asian countries, and although nothing with TMO, my second phone gets Cingular signal.
But one place they're still behind is Grand Central Station, NY. Everybody w/ Verizon or Cingular gets signal on the main platform and even tunnel at times. I've actually tested with a second phone using international SIM/nbr from various Asian countries, and although nothing with TMO, my second phone gets Cingular signal.
May 1, 2007 | 8:16 am
#47
Join Date: Sep 1999
Programs: AA EXP, SPG PLT, Hyatt DIA, Hilton GLD
Posts: 978
Calling Cingular (now ATT) customer service is like calling the cable company. You are on hold for 30 or more minutes only to then be transferred repeatedly and disconnected. I switched to TMobile 6 months ago and the difference is like night and day. TMobile is also saving me 20% over Cingular ATT particularly with their "My Faves" program. I will never go back to Cingular ATT.
May 1, 2007 | 8:30 am
#48
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
Calling Cingular (now ATT) customer service is like calling the cable company. You are on hold for 30 or more minutes only to then be transferred repeatedly and disconnected. I switched to TMobile 6 months ago and the difference is like night and day. TMobile is also saving me 20% over Cingular ATT particularly with their "My Faves" program. I will never go back to Cingular ATT.
May 1, 2007 | 2:11 pm
#49
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: DSM
Programs: "I COME FROM Des Moines. Somebody had to." -- Bill Bryson
Posts: 1,135
I have been with TMo for a little over 1 month. I am VERY pleased with TMo. The customer service is outstanding and my cost is significantly lower than Cingular.
I live in what most would consider the boonies and with some minor exceptions have not had any issues with coverage. I have noticed that my phone roams more than it did with Cingular, but my plan covers it so I don't care. I also get much better coverage at my home, especially in my basement.
What I really wish the carriers would start offer service plans that allow you to select your desired services from a menu within a price range.
I live in what most would consider the boonies and with some minor exceptions have not had any issues with coverage. I have noticed that my phone roams more than it did with Cingular, but my plan covers it so I don't care. I also get much better coverage at my home, especially in my basement.
What I really wish the carriers would start offer service plans that allow you to select your desired services from a menu within a price range.
May 1, 2007 | 2:19 pm
#50
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: DCA
Programs: AA Platinum
Posts: 940
I love my Cingular but I have heard very mixed reviews from others. A big difference is the level of customer service you get based on what kind of customer you are. It's kind of like when you call the airline and you get either the Plat desk of the no status desk and what they will do for you.
I get great customer service but some people haven't gotten what they wanted. I have been with them for like 5 years, have 4 lines and my bill is like $175 a month (2 blackberry plans, 2 text messaging plans, 4 voice lines, lots of minutes)
I get great customer service but some people haven't gotten what they wanted. I have been with them for like 5 years, have 4 lines and my bill is like $175 a month (2 blackberry plans, 2 text messaging plans, 4 voice lines, lots of minutes)
May 2, 2007 | 1:00 pm
#51
Formerly known as stellertony
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: MEX
Posts: 1,151
I opened an account with T-Mobile in January. While I've had a few technical issues, most if not all of them have been caused by the local partner (Dobson). T-Mobile has been very helpful every time, even when it's not their fault. I'm roaming in ANC, and they're aware of that and don't mind at all. I pay $55/mo. for myFaves, 300 anytime minutes and free n/w, and it works perfectly for me. I also have free roaming anywhere in the US. It's been a great experience for me.
May 3, 2007 | 12:22 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2007
Programs: AS Million Miler, Marriott Lifetime Platinum, Nexus / Global Entry
Posts: 905
After 5 years w/ Sprint, 1 year w/ Verizon (hate them with a passion), 1 year w/ T-Mobile - I am now with Cingular. I travel to very rural spots and have found that Cingular works much better for me than T-Mobile did.
CDMA has it's advantages as well so I kept my Sprint plan going as a backup. (3 phones - $60/month for all three)
For me: Cingular > T-Mobile.
I'm a gadget freak as well and the fact that the iPhone will be on Cingular is a plus for me as well.
CDMA has it's advantages as well so I kept my Sprint plan going as a backup. (3 phones - $60/month for all three)
For me: Cingular > T-Mobile.
I'm a gadget freak as well and the fact that the iPhone will be on Cingular is a plus for me as well.
May 4, 2007 | 12:03 pm
#53
Join Date: Sep 2005
Posts: 48
how to turn off voice mail?
Hi,
How do you turn off your voicemail?
Thanks,
How do you turn off your voicemail?
Thanks,
I've used Cingular for 3 years, and although I've looked at T-Mobile, I keep finding Cingular better for my needs.
The things that I like about Cingular include:
Nationwide roaming (without fees) -- It is very freeing not to have to be concerned about roaming charges, especially with college kids in the family. (I recently was in a seminar in a hotel, and while I had great coverage, an associate with Verizon could only get costly roaming unless he went to the lobby.)
Good rural coverage which helps when traveling in the US.
Rollover minutes.
Unlimited mobile-to-mobile (Cingular & AT&T), including now messages.
I travel to Europe once or twice a year (for about 2 weeks each) and I've always used Cingular's int'l roaming. It's been more cost effective for me.
FWIW, here's what I do when in Europe: Turn off voice mail since it's twice the cost per minute to retrieve, as are most inbound calls from the US. So I typically don't answer and inbound call but I return the call right away (since caller ID works). I also rely on text messaging from associates in the US -- much cheaper and you don' t have to be awake. At night, I leave the phone on with the ringer off so I can tell who has called.
Now if only they had a decent calling plan from here to Canada.
AT&T (the new Cingular) has plans with unlimited calling to anyone with an AT&T landline, in addition to AT&T/Cingular mobile, but there are no rollover minutes.
The things that I like about Cingular include:
Nationwide roaming (without fees) -- It is very freeing not to have to be concerned about roaming charges, especially with college kids in the family. (I recently was in a seminar in a hotel, and while I had great coverage, an associate with Verizon could only get costly roaming unless he went to the lobby.)
Good rural coverage which helps when traveling in the US.
Rollover minutes.
Unlimited mobile-to-mobile (Cingular & AT&T), including now messages.
I travel to Europe once or twice a year (for about 2 weeks each) and I've always used Cingular's int'l roaming. It's been more cost effective for me.
FWIW, here's what I do when in Europe: Turn off voice mail since it's twice the cost per minute to retrieve, as are most inbound calls from the US. So I typically don't answer and inbound call but I return the call right away (since caller ID works). I also rely on text messaging from associates in the US -- much cheaper and you don' t have to be awake. At night, I leave the phone on with the ringer off so I can tell who has called.
Now if only they had a decent calling plan from here to Canada.
AT&T (the new Cingular) has plans with unlimited calling to anyone with an AT&T landline, in addition to AT&T/Cingular mobile, but there are no rollover minutes.
May 4, 2007 | 12:46 pm
#54
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Maine
Posts: 634
Are you sure about this? I'm a new Cingular customer and have looked at the website and talked to quite a few customer service people about the per minute charges while abroad and no one has mentioned that most inbound calls from the U.S. are twice the stated per minute charge. I have seen where it is stated that retrieving voicemail while abroad is twice the per minute charge but not inbound calls.
May 4, 2007 | 2:45 pm
#55
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
Are you sure about this? I'm a new Cingular customer and have looked at the website and talked to quite a few customer service people about the per minute charges while abroad and no one has mentioned that most inbound calls from the U.S. are twice the stated per minute charge. I have seen where it is stated that retrieving voicemail while abroad is twice the per minute charge but not inbound calls.
Call Cingular before you leave and have them turn your voicemail off.
Stu
May 7, 2007 | 12:08 pm
#57
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Maine
Posts: 634
I was hit with this fee in 2004 when I was in Tanzania. I turned my phone off most of the time, but turned it on once a day simply to see if there were voicemails. Every deposited voicemail was build at e.g. an international call to Tanzania and a conditional call forward back home. Even when the phone was off.
Call Cingular before you leave and have them turn your voicemail off.
Stu
Call Cingular before you leave and have them turn your voicemail off.
Stu
May 7, 2007 | 5:19 pm
#58
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
I was hit with this fee in 2004 when I was in Tanzania. I turned my phone off most of the time, but turned it on once a day simply to see if there were voicemails. Every deposited voicemail was build at e.g. an international call to Tanzania and a conditional call forward back home. Even when the phone was off.
Call Cingular before you leave and have them turn your voicemail off.
Stu
Call Cingular before you leave and have them turn your voicemail off.
Stu
When your phone is off, the call is never sent abroad. Once it stops updating the Visitor Location Register, after 5-30 minutes, calls go straight to voicemail and never go international.
I certainly don't pay such bills on T-mo. Also, you needn't keep the phone off to avoid the voicemail charges. Simply set the phone up to unconditionally divert all calls to voicemail and you won't be charged. If people need you, have them text you.
Again, the ONLY time you should receive such bills is if your phone rings and the call is subsequently diverted to voicemail. It's not necessary to answer in this case. But if the phone is truly off, you shouldn't be charged. Nor do you need to go without voicemail!
Last edited by kanebear; May 7, 2007 at 5:34 pm
May 7, 2007 | 5:40 pm
#59
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: A Southern locale that ain't the South.
Programs: Bah, HUMBUG!
Posts: 8,014
Thanks Dubai Stu, and I will certainly do that! What I was confused about however is the statement by DBruce49 where he says "as are most inbound calls from the United States". I am taking that to mean that any call from the U.S. that I answer while I am in Europe will cost me twice the per minute charge as stated on Cingular's website, i.e. the stated charge for incoming calls from the U.S. while I am in France is 1.29 per minute but it will be twice that amount according to him. It looks like he is talking about both incoming calls that one answers and also calls that go to voicemail. I'm probably not reading it correctly and he just means calls going to voicemail but I just wanted to clarify and at this stage of my life I seem to need clarification more often!
May 8, 2007 | 6:19 am
#60
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Detroit; Formerly Dubai
Posts: 3,676
It is not Cingular it is the roaming carrier. They don't release the phone from the system when it is switched off. As a matter of fact, at this year's Gitex (the Middle East's largest tech show), they were actively demonstrating technology aimed at enhancing roaming revenue by increasing the time your phone remains registered on the roaming network and using a software trick that would slow your phone down on registering on a competing carrier.
Under this approach, if you landed at Frankfurt, powered your phone back up for one call to tell your wife that you made your connection, and then shut it down and boarded at plane to the US, you'd be paying these roaming rates until you powered your phone back up in the US.
As annoying as it is, you need to either disable your voicemail or hardforward (e.g. not conditional) all calls to voicemail. If you let the system send it to voicemail if you don't answer, you will hugely increase your roaming bill.
This is another reason why I use a roaming SIM when traveling. They have written a special algorithm to send calls to voicemail that is not dependent on a conditional call forward.
Under this approach, if you landed at Frankfurt, powered your phone back up for one call to tell your wife that you made your connection, and then shut it down and boarded at plane to the US, you'd be paying these roaming rates until you powered your phone back up in the US.
As annoying as it is, you need to either disable your voicemail or hardforward (e.g. not conditional) all calls to voicemail. If you let the system send it to voicemail if you don't answer, you will hugely increase your roaming bill.
This is another reason why I use a roaming SIM when traveling. They have written a special algorithm to send calls to voicemail that is not dependent on a conditional call forward.